Big Chill

Columbia's DVD release of The Big Chill falls a few supplements short of a full-fledged Special Edition or Collector's DVD, but it contains enough to keep fans of the movie interested. Available in a 1.85:1 anamorphic master, Lawrence Kasdan's comedy looks sharper and cleaner than any version available previously and the Dolby Digital Sound enhances the film's well-known Motown soundtrack. While it doesn't offer a feature-length commentary by Kasdan, the disc includes the next best thing: an hour-long documentary by noted film documentarian Laurent Bouzerau, who offers a view into how the cast bonded while on location and how the film evolved into its finished version. The other main supplement on the disc is the deleted-scene reel. The scenes are mostly humorous and add some color to the characters. The main disappointment, however, is that Kevin Costner's infamous cutting room floor scene is not included. Kasdan mentions it in the documentary, and a still picture of Costner in character is included, but the footage itself is nowhere to be found. The DVD of The Big Chill is valuable for what it has to offer, but it falls short of being a gem.